Final Draft

Today, I'm grading final drafts. Here's one from the student who's original intention was to write a paper explaining why homosexuality was "wrong." As mentioned in my previous posts, she seemed to have been swayed a bit from her initial outlook. Her final draft now confirms this. Here is a portion of her introduction:

As I started this research paper I had my self thinking it’s a choice. Homosexuals get to chose who they like and who they don’t like just as heterosexuals do and example is a girl not liking another girl but yet liking a guy or by vice versa. They chose who they liked and didn’t like. Throughout this research paper the sites I have researched on have overturned my decision. I now think it’s genetic. A homosexual can’t wake up every morning and say I’m sticking to guys/girls maybe I’ll change tomorrow. This statement threw my state of mind right out the window...

Interesting. But there's something else. Turns out this girl is a natural scholar. I've never told students how to conduct and write up an interview; I just suggest that they do it. The results, of course, vary. But they are always intriguing. This girl, is by far, the best at it. You may recall that she had written about her gay uncle in her revised proposal. I suggested she interview him. She did. And it's a marvellous write-up she's done. Best I've ever seen from an inexperienced interviewer/freshman:

Throughout this research time my uncle [name omitted] has been in my head the entire time. He’s one of my favorite uncles but he’s hasn’t had it easy. He’s a homosexual. He’s into the whole guy and guy thing. I’m not going to say I’m proud of him because I would be lying. I had my times when he lived with us that we would walk down the street in a group of 3 me, him, and his “boyfriend” I’ll admit I was ashamed. However, it was his sexual orientation and he was happy. I got a hold of my uncle and had him come down for thanksgiving and he agreed to participate in an interview. As me and my uncle sat at the table he began biting his nails I asked him why are you biting your nails? He replied I’m nervous, not very many people want to sit down one on one with a homosexual and talk about his sexual orientation none the less it being my niece. We shared laughs, then down to business. My first question to him was why be a homosexual? He replies, it’s something you can’t help it’s like a “straight” person and there opposite sex partner. We didn’t ask for it. It just happened....

Sure, there are so many technical miscues to pick on: The absence of quotes, especially. And the obvious lack of revision. But at this stage, who cares? This is just a dynamite write-up. And it gets even better!